Willis ISD

▲ The Wildcat Resource Center in Willis ISD provides clothing and other helpful items to families in need.

Taking care of their own

by Merri Rosenberg

With its well organized displays of shoes, attractive circular carousels of jackets and carefully laid out tables of toiletries, the space could rival a Target or other department store. Bins hold school supplies and backpacks, shelves are lined with tempting toys, and an entire room is devoted to pristine jewel- and pastel-tone prom dresses. Welcome to the Wildkat Resource Center (WRC), a program offered by Willis ISD to help families meet their needs for clothing, shoes and supplies when facing financial struggles or other challenges. School district employees and their families can also use the center’s resources. In Willis ISD, a community about 45 miles north of Houston with an enrollment of about 8,400 students, the poverty rate of 60.7% reflects a compelling need to offer families some additional assistance. “If families have fallen on hard times, it’s there to support you, to get you on your feet,” says Willis Superintendent Tim Harkrider. “It’s not a government handout.” Nor is it charity. Besides providing tangible items, such as clothing and toiletries, the WRC is about restoring dignity and respect. “Sometimes people are at the lowest of lows,” says Kindra Schiffner, the district outreach liaison who runs the WRC, which offers shopping by appointment. “The last thing I want is for them to feel like they’re getting trash. I want them to

Willis ISD

County: Montgomery ESC region: 6 Superintendent: Dr. Tim Harkrider 2020 enrollment: 7,813 Number of schools: 11

have a feeling of acceptance and dignity. I decided I wanted a very clean, organized facility. It’s set up like a department store, where people will come in and see clean stuff and great stuff. I don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings.” Needing assistance, she adds, “can happen to anybody.” “Kindra’s perspective is that when people come to ask for help, some have never asked before,” Harkrider adds. Kelly Locke, the director of guidance and counseling in Willis ISD, says there is a step-by-step process that covers numerous potential needs the WRC can address. Families can fill out an assistance request form; when there’s a request for clothing, it will be sent on to Schiffner. Teachers who are aware of a student’s family circumstance will also reach out directly to counseling staff. And if there’s a crisis for a local family — a lightning strike that burned down a home, a job loss because COVID-19 impacted a parent’s ability to work, or the death of a parent — chances are good that Schiffner has already received a text. “We keep each other in the loop,” says Locke. “Everyone is connected. There are referrals from all over.” She adds, “Kindra wants to uphold the dignity of the family. Some of the families come in when the kids are in school, and Kindra helps them select some things for the kids. She has such a service heart.” The system works on the honor code — no one checks for financial need. The staff keeps a record of when clients visit and what items they receive. Each child can choose two outfits a month, a pair of shoes and jacket each semester, and a backpack stuffed with needed school supplies at the start of the school year. Students can also select new undergarments every other month, and family members can receive two outfits per month. Participating families also receive hygiene kits each month. The benefits are undeniable. One parent in the district who has four children currently attending schools, says the ability to supply her children with items from the WRC means “we can pay other bills. It helps me.” Though she and her husband are both working, the pandemic affected the family income negatively. This mother also likes that it’s “clean and nice, and like walking into a department store. Kindra greets you with a smile. She goes above and beyond. It’s amazing.” While there are seasonal pushes to provide for holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, Harkrider adds, “People have needs throughout the year. Kids have needs for clothing throughout the year. Life can change — there was a family who lost their home to a fire, and the counselors got in touch with Kindra.” The school district supports the center with a budget line, although local businesses and churches as well as individual members also contribute funds and supplies, such as backpacks. It’s a community with a “giving heart,” says Harkrider. One donor, Audra W. Hoegemeyer, says one benefit of the center and how it works is that “the need is immediately addressed as best it can be. There’s not a lot of red tape or waiting time. The resource center, and Kindra help ease the burden on counselors and schools and help those families that need a little extra help.” Schiffner, who is herself a parent in the district, was originally hired in November 2019 to revamp the center. A previous incarnation of the center hadn’t been aligned with district needs,

“Sometimes people are at the lowest of lows. The last thing I want is for them to feel like they’re getting trash. I want them to have a feeling of acceptance and dignity.”

▲ WISD families can visit the WRC to pick up clothing, shoes, backpacks and hygiene items.

▲ The WRC includes a formal room, offering dressier clothing appropriate for prom or homecoming.

as it attracted many county residents who had no connection to the schools. The district leadership thought it was time for a reboot, to be sure the center was truly serving the school community. The center is housed in the district’s original high school building, which more recently was used as the district’s central administration building. Schiffner had experience running an online boutique. Plus, Schiffner says, she has “always loved shopping.” The WRC offers other benefits, Harkrider says. The center gives students a chance to help members of their community. “It’s the first time some of them have volunteered,” he says. “It’s a great lesson. It’s good for the students.” The WRC certainly made a difference to a former Willis ISD employee who has three grandchildren attending school in the district. She accompanied the children to the shopping appointment their mother had set up. When one of the girls realized that some of the students volunteering at the center were classmates, Schiffner immediately sent the students to a back room and provided a completely private shopping experience. “I had tears in my eyes,” the grandmother says. “It never occurred to me that they would be embarrassed.” She was grateful her grandchildren were able to select shoes, tops and bottoms without feeling judged. As Locke says, “Wildkats, we take care of ourselves.”

MERRI ROSENBERG is a freelance writer specializing in educational issues, based in Westchester County, New York. Contact her at merri.rosenberg@ gmail.com.